Adam KeysARCANE ROOTS – MELANCHOLIA HYMNS (EASY LIFE / RED ESSENTIAL)
Genre – Alt Rock
Four years ago, Arcane Roots was the name on everyone’s lips. Seven years on from their first meeting, Daryl Atkins and Andrew Groves had finally let their incredible sound out into the world with their debut album Blood & Chemistry.
The album was a huge success, rising to number seven in the UK Rock Chart. But, like so many bands before them have experienced; success brings its own problems. In 2015, Atkins announced his departure as a touring member of the band, and was swiftly replaced by Jack Wrench.
A year later, Wrench was confirmed as the band’s permanent drummer, with Atkins remaining in the wings. Despite such a major line-up change, Arcane Roots appear to have lost none of their creative spark.
Melancholia Hymns is just as dense as Blood & Chemistry. From the opening track Before Me, the album is filled with darkness. A deep, dense darkness that sucks you into the centre of Arcane Roots’ eclectic sounds and completely immerses you in the music.
As the album rolls on, the care and attention to detail is wholly evident, particularly in Solemn. From the outset, this track is like a laid back Hurts song, but with closer inspection there are fabulous sounds coming from all angles, with Groves high pitched vocals complimenting the music, as opposed to the music supporting the vocals.
Fireflies follows this trend, with a rife undercurrent of power resonating from beneath the surface of the track. Structurally, this beautiful piece of craftsmanship shares many of the traits that made Evanescence such a power house in the mid noughties, with Groves, Burton and Wrench combining effortlessly to create a swirling mass of music.
These effortless sounds are simply a façade. Sonically, Melancholia Hymns is filled with layers. With each layer, there is another just below which is ready to be revealed with careful listening. From string sections to big riffs, electronica to intricate drum patterns, this album is so fascinating that you could still be hearing new sounds in ten years’ time.
RUSHONROCK RATED 9/10 A welcome return.
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